Cushioning device for treadmill

ABSTRACT

The present invention is related to a cushioning device for treadmill, wherein the treadmill has a base with a side frame on each of its both sides, a deck disposed on the base to allow for the motions of running or walking by users, and a track surrounding and disposed on the deck. The deck is fastened to the base at least at its one end. At least one cushioning devices with adjustable cushion force are correspondingly disposed between the both sides of the deck and the side frames of the base. Each cushioning device has a plunger cylinder used to provide a cushion force in the reverse direction to cushion impact loads imparted on the deck while running or walking.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cushioning device for treadmill, andmore particularly to a device with cushioning plunger cylinders disposedat the deck and the side frames of a treadmill.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, there is a conventional treadmill 8. It can beseen from the figures that a plunger cylinder 82 with a constant cushionforce is disposed between each of the two side frames 801 of the base 1and each of the both sides of the deck 81. The plunger cylinder 82 isused to reduce the counteracting force exerted on users' feet by thedeck 81 while the users are running thereon.

Though such treadmill 8 could achieve the cushioning effect by thecushioning device with a constant cushion force, however, the constantcushion force could only satisfy a certain body weight or certainpracticing requirements. When the users with different body weights orasking for different practicing requirements are practicing or runningon the treadmills with such cushioning devices, the users would feeluncomfortable. In other words, when the cushioning effect is requiredfor heavier body weights or stronger practicing requirements, the userswould feel the deck 81 is too soft while running or practicing;contrariwise, when the cushioning effect is required for lighter bodyweights or weaker practicing requirements, the users would feel the deck81 is too hard while running or practicing, so that their cushioningeffect cannot meet the users' requirements.

Also referring to FIG. 10, a conventional treadmill 9 is shown. It canbe seen from the figures that the treadmill has a hand support 91located on a base 90, and a cushioning device 93 with adjustable cushionforce is disposed between a deck 92 and the hand support 91. In suchtreadmills, one end of the deck 92 is suspended on the cushioning device93, and a cushion is provided for the deck 92 by adjusting the cushionforce of the cushioning device 93 when users are practicing or runningthereon. Even if such treadmills have the cushioning effect andadjustable cushion force, however, the members of their cushioningdevices are complicated and the volume of the cushioning device isrelatively large in comparison with that of the entire treadmill, sothat it occupies a lot of space for running.

Furthermore, the deck of a treadmill is usually made of a slightlyflexible plate, so that downward sags would occur where impact loadsimparted on the deck while running. This would result in the deformationof the deck after use for a long time. Not only cannot the cushioningdevices for the foregoing two kinds of treadmills solve this problem,but also the performance of the cushioning devices would be affected dueto the deformation of the deck.

Accordingly, the main point of the present invention is to solve theproblems caused by the cushioning devices for conventional treadmills.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide acushioning device for treadmill, which can solve the above problems bymeans of the cushioning devices with adjustable cushion force disposedbetween the side frames of the base and the deck, such that users canadjust different cushion forces according to the requirements of theirbody weights and habits while running or walking on the deck. Besides,the members of the present invention are simpler than the adjustablecushioning devices for conventional treadmills, and they are installedbetween the deck and the side frames of the base without occupation ofthe space for running or practicing.

The secondary objective of the present invention lies in that aconnector is disposed below the deck and between the cushioning deviceson the both sides of the deck, thus preventing the deck from easydeformation after use for a long time so as to avoid affecting thecushioning effect of the cushioning device.

To achieve the foregoing objectives, the treadmill of the presentinvention has a base with a side frame on each of its both sides, a deckdisposed on the base to allow for the motions of running or walking byusers, and a track surrounding and disposed on the deck, and the deck isfastened to the base at least at its one end, characterized in that atleast one cushioning devices with adjustable cushion force arecorrespondingly disposed between the both sides of the deck and the sideframes of the base, and each cushioning device has a plunger cylinder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional outline of the treadmill and cushioningdevice according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional exploded view of the cushioning deviceaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the plunger cylinder is adjustedto a higher cushion force according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the plunger cylinder is adjustedto a lower cushion force according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a three-dimensional outline of the treadmill and cushioningdevice according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a three-dimensional exploded view of the cushioning deviceaccording to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a three-dimensional outline of a conventional treadmill andcushioning device.

FIG. 8 is a structural plan view of the cushioning device for thetreadmill in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a cushion of the cushioning devicefor the treadmill in FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a structural plan view of another conventional treadmill andcushioning device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 2, those shown in the figures are the structuresof the embodiments selected from the present invention, which are onlyillustrative and not meant to restrict the scope of the invention in anymanner.

In this embodiment, a cushioning device for treadmill is provided,wherein the treadmill has a base 1 with a side frame 11 on each of itsboth sides, a deck 2 disposed on the base 1 to allow for the motions ofrunning or walking by users, and a track 3 surrounding and disposed onthe deck 2, and the deck 2 is fastened to the base 1 at least at its oneend, and at least one cushioning devices 4 are correspondingly disposedbetween each of the both sides of the deck 2 and the side frame 11 ofthe base 1, and each cushioning device 4 has a plunger cylinder 41 toallow for adjusting the cushion force. In this embodiment, a connector44 is disposed between the cushioning devices 4 correspondingly disposedbetween the both sides of the deck 2 and the two side frames 11 of thebase 1 and disposed below the deck 2 to avoid the deformation of thedeck 2. A hand support 12 extends upwardly from one end of the base 1 toprovide auxiliary support for users while running or walking.

The above plunger cylinder 41 has a cylinder block 411, a piston rod 412extending from one end of the cylinder block 411, and at least onepositioning portions 42 disposed on each of the both sides of either theside frames 11 of the base 1 or the deck 2, and each positioning portion42 is fastened to the end of the piston rod 412 and has at least onepositioning punches 421 for adjusting the cushion angle between theposition where the plunger cylinder 41 is located at the deck 2 and theposition where the plunger cylinder is located at the base 1, and theother is pivotally connected to the cylinder block 411 of the plungercylinder 41.

In this embodiment, the positioning portion 42 is disposed on the bothsides of the deck 2 and has a notch 422 therein, and the positioningpunches 421 of the positioning portion 42 are curved and disposed on theboth sides of the notch 422 as well as symmetrically disposed below theside frames 11, and a pivoting base 413 is outwardly disposed betweenthe both ends of the plunger cylinder 41, and the pivoting base hasbetween the both ends thereof a pivoting rod 414 extending toward theside frame 11 and pivoted to a pivoting hole 111 of the side frame. Afastener 43 passes through the positioning punches 421 at the both sidesof the positioning portion 42, and the plunger cylinder 41 is fastenedinside the notch 422 of the positioning portion 42 after adjusting theangle of the plunger cylinder 41.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the positioning punch 421 has therein aplurality of screw mounting holes 421 a with a diameter slightly largerthan that of the punch 421, and the fastener 43 has a rotating portion431, an external thread portion 432 extending from the rotating portion431, and the external thread portion 432 passes through the positioningpunches 421 at the both sides of the positioning portion 42 from theexterior to the interior, and the other end of the rotating portion 431and an internal thread portion 433 are screw mounted to the outer sidesof the two positioning punches 421 of the positioning portion 42.

It can be seen from the structure of the above cushioning device 4 thatthe plunger cylinder 41 can be tilted at different angles between thedeck 2 and the side frame 11 of the base 1 to change the cushion force.When the plunger cylinder 41 is adjusted to be vertical as shown in FIG.3, the acting force due to the impact loads imparted on the deck 2 isalmost completely supported by the plunger cylinder 41, so that theplunger cylinder 41 would generate a counteracting force with respect tothe deck 2 based on the preset values of the cushion force. On the otherhand, when the plunger cylinder 41 is adjusted to be more tilted asshown in FIG. 4, the deck imparted by the impact loads would vibrate upand down vertically, that is, the downward pressure on the deck impartedby the impact loads is vertically downward, so that the plunger cylinder41 only bears the component of the downward pressure along the directionof the axis of the plunger cylinder 41 and the other component thereofis vertical to the plunger cylinder 41. Therefore, the plunger cylinder41 could only cushion the component of the downward pressure, and theother component thereof is supported by the pivoting end andcounteracted by its pivotal rotation. As the result, when the plungercylinder 41 is maintained at the preset values of the cushion force andthe deck 2 is under the same downward pressure, the effective cushionforce would be reduced.

When the body weights of users are heavier or a greater cushion force isrequired for running, the plunger cylinder 41 could be appropriatelyadjusted to be upright between the deck 2 and the side frame 11 of thebase 1, such that the cushioning device 4 has a higher cushion force andthe more upright the plunger cylinder is, the more increased the cushionforce will relatively become. On the other hand, when the body weightsof users are lighter or a lower cushion force is required forpracticing, the plunger cylinder 41 could be appropriately adjusted tobe tilted between the deck 2 and the side frame 11 of the base 1, suchthat the cushioning device 4 has a lower cushion force and the moretilted the plunger cylinder is, the more reduced the cushion force willrelatively become.

Therefore, it can be seen in comparison with the cushioning devices forconventional treadmills that the cushioning device according to thepresent invention has the cushioning effect of the function ofadjustable cushion force, such that users can adjust different cushionforces according to the requirements of their body weights and habitswhile running or walking on the deck 2. Besides, the members of thepresent invention are simpler than the adjustable cushioning devices forconventional treadmills, and they are installed between the deck 2 andthe side frames 11 of the base 1 without occupation of the space forrunning.

Additionally, in order to overcome the deformation of the flexible deck2 caused by running and walking for a long time, which would affect thecushioning effect of the cushioning device 4, in this embodiment, aconnector 44 is disposed below the deck 2 and between the cushioningdevices 4 on the both sides. Thus, when impact loads imparted on thedeck 2 while running or walking, the downward pressure the deck 2 bearscan be supported by the connector 44 and distributed more evenly on thedeck 2.

Needless to say, there are still many examples of the present inventionwhich differ only on the details. Referring to FIGS. 5 to 6, a secondembodiment of the present invention is shown, whose difference lies inthat the positioning portion is disposed on the side frames 11 of thebase 1, and the end of the piston rod 412 of the plunger cylinder 41 ispivoted to the deck, and the one end of the cylinder block 411 of theplunger cylinder 41 is pivoted inside the notch 422 of the positioningportion 42 located at the side frame 11, thereby achieving thecushioning effect as same as that of the first embodiment.

1. A cushioning device for treadmill, wherein the treadmill has a basewith a side frame on each of its both sides, a deck disposed on the baseto allow for the motions of running or walking by users, and a tracksurrounding and disposed on the deck, and the deck is fastened to thebase at least at its one end, characterized in that at least onecushioning devices with adjustable cushion force are correspondinglydisposed between the both sides of the deck and the side frames of thebase, and each cushioning device has a plunger cylinder.
 2. Thecushioning device for treadmill as described in claim 1, wherein theplunger cylinder has a cylinder block, a piston rod extending from oneend of the cylinder block, and at least one positioning portionsdisposed on the both sides of either the side frames of the base or thedeck and fastened to the end of the piston rod, and each positioningportion has at least one positioning punches for adjusting the cushionangle between the position where the plunger cylinder is located at thedeck and the position where the plunger cylinder is located at the base,and the other is pivotally connected to the cylinder block of theplunger cylinder.
 3. The cushioning device for treadmill as described inclaim 2, wherein the positioning portion is fastened to the deck and hasa notch therein, and the positioning punches of the positioning portionare curved and disposed on the both sides of the notch as well assymmetrically disposed below the side frames, and a pivoting base isoutwardly disposed between the both ends of the plunger cylinder, andthe pivoting base has between the both ends thereof a pivoting rodextending toward the side frame and pivoted to a pivoting hole of theside frame, and a fastener passes through the positioning punches at theboth sides of the positioning portion and the other end of the plungercylinder and is fastened inside the notch of the positioning portionafter adjusting the angle of the plunger cylinder.
 4. The cushioningdevice for treadmill as described in claim 2, wherein the positioningportion is disposed at the side frame of the base and has a notchtherein, and the positioning punches of the positioning portion arecurved and disposed on the both sides of the notch as well assymmetrically disposed below the side frames, and the end of the pistonrod of the plunger cylinder is pivoted to the deck, and a fastenerpasses through the positioning punches at the both sides of thepositioning portion and the end of the piston rod of the plungercylinder and is fastened inside the notch of the positioning portionafter adjusting the angle of the plunger cylinder.
 5. The cushioningdevice for treadmill as described in claim 3, wherein the positioningpunch has therein a plurality of screw mounting holes with a diameterslightly larger than that of the punch, and the fastener has a rotatingportion, an external thread portion extending from the rotating portion,and the external thread portion passes through the positioning punchesat the both sides of the positioning portion from the exterior to theinterior, and the other end of the rotating portion and an internalthread portion are screw mounted to the outer sides of the twopositioning punches of the positioning portion.
 6. The cushioning devicefor treadmill as described in claim 4, wherein the positioning punch hastherein a plurality of screw mounting holes with a diameter slightlylarger than that of the punch, and the fastener has a rotating portion,an external thread portion extending from the rotating portion, and theexternal thread portion passes through the positioning punches at theboth sides of the positioning portion from the exterior to the interior,and the other end of the rotating portion and an internal thread portionare screw mounted to the outer sides of the two positioning punches ofthe positioning portion.
 7. The cushioning device for treadmill asdescribed in claim 1, wherein a connector is disposed between thecushioning devices correspondingly disposed between the both sides ofthe deck and the side frames at the both sides of the base and below thedeck to avoid the deformation of the deck.